Source: X
Guwahati, April 17: Heavy rains battered parts of the Middle East, and causing rare flooding in Dubai.
As per reports, schools in the United Arab Emirates were closed, while Dubai International Airport’s tarmac succumbed to waterlogging. Tragically, Oman reported at least 18 fatalities due to the severe weather.
The deluge transformed the typically arid region, affecting roadways and prompting flight diversions at Dubai’s airport. Airport officials cited the "continued exceptional weather event" as the basis for the temporary disruptions.
According to the Associated Press, by the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimetres (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates.
The state-run WAM news agency called the rain “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.”
Beyond Dubai, other Middle Eastern nations, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, grappled with unusual wet conditions this week.
